Jan 15, 2016

Article and photos by Barbara Haddock Taylor

: Robot drivers/builders Carlos Thompson, left, a junior, and Sabrina Horton, right, a junior, check their VEX robot after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. They are part of the team that is competing on Sunday in the BMore Robotic VEX Tournament at the Baltimore Robotics Center. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: A VEX robot launches a ball. It is one of six robots that were built by the robotics team at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. This weekend, the team will compete in the BMore Robotic VEX Tournament at the Baltimore Robotics Center. The competition involves a game during which robots drive and launch balls into a net to accumulate points. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Team captain Alex Hilger, a 17-year-old senior, operates a VEX robot as it launches balls during competition practice for Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Robotics team founder and advisor Ron Hoge, left, confers with sophomores Xander Easton, 15, center, and Anthony Venable, 15, right, about their VEX robot after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. The students are getting their robots ready for competition on Sunday at the BMore VEX Robotic tournament. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Sophomores Anthony Venable, 15, works on a VEX robot after school on the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team. ((Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun))

: Temple Matthews-Martial, a 16 year old junior, sets up balls that will be launched by robots in practice for a competition that will be held on Sunday. He is part of the robotics team which meets after school at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Xander Easton, left, 15, a sophomore, and Sabrina Horton, 18, a junior, inspect their robot during practice after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Robotics team members watch their robots operate in the “field” inside the art room at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Left to right: Anthony Venable, 15, programmer, team advisor and founder Ron Hoge, Xander Easton, 15, Sam Smith and team captain Alex Hilger, 17. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: This is a detail of a ball intake mechanism, made with rubber bands, that is part of a VEX robot which launches balls in competition. It is part of one of six robots that were built by the robotics team at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Robotics team members watch their robots operate in the “field” inside the art room at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Left to right: Zane Wilson, 14, Robert Blanchard, 15, Sabrina Horton, 18, Anthony Venable, 15, team advisor and founder Ron Hoge, and Xander Easton, 15. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: This is a detail of students’ hands working on a VEX robot after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Gears used to build VEX robots are seen in a box at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Jacob Smith, 16, a junior, works on programming a VEX robot after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Left to right: robotics team captain and senior Alex Hilger, 17, programmer Jacob Smith, 16, center, a junior and Temple Matthew-Martial, 16, also a junior, work on their VEX robot after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. The team will compete in the BMore Robotic VEX Tournament on Sunday. The competition requires that the robots drive and launch balls into a net to accumulate points. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Programmer and junior Jacob Smith, 16, left, confers with Robert Blanchard, 15 right, a sophomore, after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Jacob Smith, 16, a junior, works on programming a VEX robot after school at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s robotics team, which works in the school’s art room under the direction of art teacher Ron Hoge. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

Baltimore Polytechnic Institute has a champion Robotics Team, “where it’s cool to be a geek,” according to team founder and advisor Ron Hoge, the Poly art teacher. The team has competed in local, statewide, national and international competitions with great success.

On Sunday, the team will be competing again in the BMore “VEX Nothing But Net” Tournament at the Baltimore Robotics Center.

Twenty students and five robots, all of which were built and programmed by the students, will be playing a game on a 12 X 12 foot foam mat, surrounded by a sheet-metal and lexan perimeter. There are 104 balls that teams can score into goals. They can also score points for elevating their robots above various heights.

Students are using physics, mathematics, computer programming, digital prototyping and design as well as forging strong friendships with other team members. Each active participant in the robotics team is guaranteed a $5000 scholarship at Capitol Technology University in Laurel.

"Cool to be a Geek" from Baltimore Sun's The Darkroom on Vimeo.

Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Robotics Team

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